Travel To and Within Chicago

PlanesChicago is served by O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Midway International Airport (MDW).

A cab ride to the hotel will cost roughly $40 from O’Hare and $28 from Midway. There are also public transit trains that run from both airports (blue line from O’Hare, orange from Midway) and will necessitate a change to the red line (change at Washington and transfer to the Lake Red Line station). The hotel is a 4-5 block walk from the Chicago station on the red line. For more information on Chicago’s public transportation system, visit the Chicago Transit Authority page here.

GO Airport Express: Meeting attendees can take advantage of a reduced fare special from GO Airport Express for shuttle service between the hotel and the Chicago airports. The shuttles depart from O’Hare and Midway every 15 minutes. The special fare is $19 from O’Hare and $15 from Midway, and reservations can only be booked using this site.

TrainsChicago’s Union Station is a major terminal for Amtrak as well as for city and regional train service. It is located at 210 Canal St. in downtown Chicago. It is about a 2-mile trip from Union Station to the meeting hotel.

AutomobilesChicago can be reached via Interstates 57, 80, 88, 90, or 94, as well as numerous spurs off the interstates. Keep in mind that traffic in downtown Chicago is extremely heavy at times, and that the major highways are typically referred to by locals by names instead of numbers (e.g., Dan Ryan or Kennedy instead of I-94 or I-190, respectively). All signs will include numbers.

Also be aware that parking in Chicago can be very expensive – upwards of $60 or more per day.

Travel in ChicagoThe CTA provides bus and subway/elevated train lines in Chicago. The nearest stop to the meeting hotel is the Chicago station (Red Line). The Chicago station is two stops north of the main CTA train loop/hub area.

Information on fares for the CTA can be found here. There are options for single-ride tickets; daily or weekly passes; and Ventra Cards, which can store money for fares and offer a discounted fare compared to single-ride tickets. Ventra Cards and tickets can be purchased in subway stations at vending machines.

Maps and further details about the CTA train and bus sytems can be found at the CTA site here.

Wheelchair Accessible Transportation ServicesEasy Access Chicago hosts a website with lots of useful information for getting around in and seeing Chicago for those with mobility and other challenges. Their website can be found here.